Truth Be Told PostEppie for Talisman
by DJ Dubois
Summary: When Lana decides to leave for Paris, Clark decides to tell all. Please r & r! (Clana, Clark-Lex)


Truth Be Told (Post-Eppie for "Talisman") (PG-13)  
David J. Duncan  
May 2004

  
Pairings: Clana, Martha/Jonathan, Lex/Clark (friends), Lex/Lana (friends-business partners), Clark/Mystery Person (I don't want to give it away just yet….)  
  
Spoilers: Everything's fair game up to this point.   
  
Summary: After the events in Talisman, Clark's friends push him to go after Lana. Wait until you see who does the pushing and the results. g  
  
Notes: The characters from Smallville belong to DC and the WB. This one is dedicated to Prolific Peggy and is intended to make her feel better. Please send comments to dante0220yahoo.com.  
  
Chapter 1 [Fortress of Solitude—End of "Talisman"]  
[A/N: I've adapted the conversation between Lex and Clark slightly but the meaning is still there.]  
  
Clark sat on the old couch, trying to get a handle on his life. _Jeremiah thought he was the One, Nuam. _He shook his head while opening the book of Cowache legends in front of him. _I wish I could understand my place in this puzzle._ Then he heard someone coming up the stairs. "Who?"  
  
Lex walked into view, glancing around the loft as he did so. As with his younger friend, he had contemplated the events of the previous days. He had chased his father, Clark, Jeremiah and Dr. Willowbrook around the area, seeking answers to riddles. In particular, he wanted to know more about the mysterious dagger, which had disintegrated in his hands. _Jeremiah thought Dad was Segith but I grabbed the dagger first._ He smirked to relax his friend. "Easy, Clark, it's just me."  
  
The Farm Boy looked at him nervously while closing the book.  
  
The billionaire inquired, "May I?" He held out his hand. When Clark gave him the tome, he opened it. After finding the right section, he asked, "Want to hear a new interpretation?"  
  
Clark relented, "All right."  
  
Lex contemplated the illustration in front of him—Nuam and Segith, entangled and fighting one another—before continuing, "Segith is the hero of the piece, you know."  
  
"How do you figure that?" Clark wondered, staring incredulously at his friend.  
  
"Nuam is a conqueror from the stars, Clark. Segith keeps him in check," Lex pointed out. "Kind of makes you wonder what the Cowache consider a hero."  
  
Clark frowned at his friend's words. He remembered what Kyla Buckwater had enthusiastically professed to him during the previous year. "Maybe Nuam is the hero, Lex. Maybe he takes out white civilization and returns the land to the Indians."  
  
Lex chuckled. "In case you missed it, Clark, you're white too."  
  
"I know. So?"   
  
"So you should be backing Segith," the bald one explained.  
  
_It would be hard to kill myself with the dagger gone. Well unless I grab a meteor rock._ Clark retorted, "I'd take my chances with Nuam. Kyla seemed to have enough faith in him."  
  
The billionaire shrugged, knowing he wasn't going to get through to his friend. "Just think about it, Clark. Oh you might want to know about the Talon. I put it up for sale."  
  
That observation grabbed the Kryptonian's attention. His face went white. "WHAT? How could you? Lex, that's Lana's place!"  
  
The other put his hands up defensively. "I know, Clark. She wants to go to Paris and needs the money."  
  
"She got in?" Clark inquired; his heart deflating faster than a punctured balloon.  
  
"Apparently so. She didn't tell you?" Lex replied, studying his friend's face. "No why would she?" He felt aggravated by the waffle shuffle between the two teenagers. "You two seriously need to talk."  
  
Clark nodded absently, retreading familiar ground in his head.  
  
Lex rubbed Clark's shoulder. While he knew he should leave the teenager to his own thoughts, he was too good of a friend for that. "For what it's worth, I don't want her to leave either."  
  
"What does that mean?" the younger man demanded.  
  
"It means that she's the best business partner I've ever had. I would like to think that I'm a friend to you both. Face it, Clark, you love each other. Whatever this secret of yours is; is it worth losing your friends not to mention the love of your life?" Lex explained. "Don't answer; just think about it all right?"  
  
"I will. Thanks, Lex," Clark accepted earnestly.  
  
The older man smiled warmly. "Despite what your father thinks of me, I am your friend, Clark. Remember that." With that, he descended the stairs and drove off into the night in his Porsche.  
  
Clark meditated on his friend's advice for a while, trying to weigh all of the possibilities. He got up and stared out the grain door. "Why does it have to be like this? Why can't I tell them? WHY?"  
  
In response, a familiar voice asked, "Why don't you, Nuam?"  
  
He turned to find a familiar female spirit floating there in front of her. The Native American was dressed in a white robe with long dark hair. Her eyes glittered at him. "Kyla?"  
  
"Yes, Clark, it's me," she assured him. "I'm concerned about you."  
  
"I kept your grandfather safe," he reported.  
  
She smiled. "Yes. Thank you. I never doubted you would do anything other than that. However, you have questions?"  
  
He shook his head silently.  
  
She frowned. "You need to open up, Clark. Yes, you carry a big secret but there are those around you who would help to bear it."  
  
"You know and you're dead," he argued.  
  
"I'm talking to you now, aren't I?" she countered. "There is one who would help you. Tell Lana before it's too late."  
  
"Then she'll leave for sure!" he yelled in frustration.  
  
"Why don't you let her decide that?" she asked, feeling frustrated herself. Seeing the disbelief on his face, she pressed, "You want to protect everyone from the truth, don't you?"  
  
"If I tell them, they'll be in danger," he replied.  
  
"If you don't tell them, they'll still be in danger. Consider everything that has happened in the past year. Not knowing your secret still hasn't protected them from being caught in the crossfire, has it? Let me show you something…." She waved her hand at him.  
  
He saw a bright flash of light and then his mind went back.  
  
[Barn, Phoenix standoff scene—again slightly adapted]  
  
Clark looked around. "We're downstairs."  
  
"More than that. We're back to the day when Morgan Edge came after you. There's nothing we can do to intervene nor can they see us," she informed him. "Watch."  
  
He saw the entire scene: his parents tied up and under the goons' guns. Two others taping kryptonite to his chest and carrying him out to the truck. "I know this though."  
  
"Do you?" she asked intently. "Just watch."  
  
At that moment, yet another crook pushed Lana into the room. "I found this one."  
  
"Lana! Leave her alone!" Martha protested.  
  
"Are you okay, Mrs. Kent?" Lana asked concerned about them. "Where's Clark?"  
  
Martha nodded, as the girl was led past her. Then she tripped the goon behind Lana with her foot.  
  
"Mom! What are you doing?" Clark protested.  
  
"Watch," Kyla reiterated.   
  
At that moment, all Hell broke loose.   
  
Even with her hands tied, Lana disposed of several adversaries. Her feet found jaws, chins, midsections and other certain anatomical points.   
  
Halfway though the fight, she managed to cut her hands loose with a blade on the workbench. Then she struggled with the final henchman in a battle to the death. Her mind swum with thoughts of self-preservation as well as concern over her boyfriend and his parents. She pushed him back.  
  
The attacker landed on the exposed tines of a pitchfork, impaling himself.  
  
Lana stood in shock at what she had done. Even though she hadn't cut him, she imagined the blood on her hands. At that moment, she had chosen between two evils and took the lesser of the two. Still, that didn't help her much. "I killed him."  
  
Martha and Jonathan rushed over to her side. "Are you all right?"  
  
She nodded, blinking back tears. "I pushed him onto the pitchfork."  
  
"It's not your fault," Martha assured her. "You had no choice. You saved us all."  
  
"I'm just so glad you're okay. Now we need to find Clark," Lana told them.  
  
From his observation post, Clark saw a bright light again.

[Present]  
  
When he had recovered his senses, he glared at the spirit. "That couldn't have happened!"  
  
"Ask your parents," Kyla asserted. "Or you could do something else."  
  
"Such as?" he inquired skeptically.  
  
"Trust an outsider. Trust me. I wish I could have been the One for you, Clark," she reminded him, allowing him to see the tears welling in her eyes. "But that's not my role."  
  
"You would help Lana to be with me?" he wondered, not understanding her motives.  
  
She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Clark, for a savior, YOU ARE SO DENSE! Yes, I would help her! I love you. I want you to be happy and being with her makes your heart soar."  
  
He stared at her, trying to comprehend the conflicting feelings inside of himself. "Why didn't you tell me before you died?"  
  
"Because of how you're feeling right now. Because of the way you felt when Lana defended herself against that bully last year. Trust in her, Clark, the way you trusted me," she pointed out.  
  
"And that got you killed," he argued.  
  
"No. My desire for blood and vengeance killed me, not you. You saved me, Clark. Still, I died because I didn't trust you and the others around us," she countered. Then she took a deep breath. "My time here is up. Please consider my words carefully, Clark." With that, she vanished into the darkness.  
  
His head sagged. _She's right. I can't let Lana go._ He nodded, feeling a nervous spasm pass through him. _Here goes_. He zipped out of the barn, running at super speed for the Sullivans' house.  
  
Chapter 2 [Sullivan House]  
  
Lana frowned as she packed the last few items into her suitcase. Her single minded determination to leave Smallville was gone, leaving her torn between staying there and leaving for the Arts school in Paris. _How can things seem so hard?_  
  
Chloe had expressed her good byes shortly before and left to work on a special edition of the Torch. She didn't want to be there when the taxi came for her housemate/adopted sister. That was especially true after she had reiterated the offer to buy the Talon with the same result.  
  
_It won't be long now._ She snapped the suitcase shut and looked around the bedroom where she had stayed for the previous two years, taking in all of the memories there. She ran her finger across the headboard and the chest of drawers.  
  
As she did so, one face came to mind: Clark's.  
  
_Stop it! You need to get away from here and from him!_ She squeezed her eyelids shut, trying to stop the tears from flowing again. The familiar ache throbbed in her chest. _Why does he haunt me? WHY?_  
  
Almost in response, a lonely pained howl shattered the silence.  
  
"What?" she wondered, looking out her bedroom window to find a large white wolf watching her attentively through pale yellow eyes. Its fur glowed in the moonlight. "A wolf here? How?" she asked in disbelief.  
  
The visitor yipped three times and panted before looking back into the darkness.  
  
_Now what?_ Lana thought.  
  
Out of nowhere, Clark appeared beside the wolf.  
  
"Clark? Where did you come from?" she demanded.  
  
"Lana, we need to talk!" he retorted sincerely.  
  
"You had your chances!" she declared sharply.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the taxi pulling into the driveway, urging him onward. "You want the truth, don't you?"  
  
She stared at him incredulously. "Now? You would tell me now? Clark, what are you thinking?"  
  
"I don't want you to go, all right?" he begged. "Please stay!"  
  
She gripped the window frame, feeling her heart cry out. Still she held her ground. After slamming the window shut, she descended the stairs, let herself out the door and handed her bags to the driver.  
  
As she was about to get into the car, he pleaded, "Lana, DON'T!"  
  
She met his sad expression with one of her own. Tears inspired tears. Then she climbed into the taxi's backseat and drove off.  
  
He watched as the car vanished from view. While he wanted to pursue it, his head told him not to. "Face it, Kent, you lost."  
  
After assuming her human form, Kyla apologized, "Clark, I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, there are happy endings for everyone but me," he sulked. He took a deep breath before streaking back toward the farm.  
  
She looked at the road where Lana had traveled and then back into the darkness. "How could everything have gone so wrong?" she wondered before disappearing.  
  
Chapter 3 [Two Days Later—the Loft]  
  
Clark sulked on the couch, ignoring everything around him. He didn't go to school, the Talon or see anyone. He did his chores, albeit in a careless fashion.  
  
Needless to say, everyone was worried about him. After fielding a barrage of phone calls and visitors, Martha and Jonathan decided enough was enough.  
  
She decided to talk with their son by herself. Climbing the loft stairs, she saw him sitting there. _Life goes on. _"Clark?"  
  
He looked up in surprise. "Mom?"  
  
She nodded while sitting down beside him. "Are you all right? We're worried about you. It's been two days."  
  
"So?" he asked moodily.  
  
She tried to keep her temper in check, understanding that it was his pain talking, not him. "Clark, Chloe, Pete, Sarah and Lex have stopped by to see you. Principal Reynolds called."  
  
He glanced at her; his eyes devoid of any emotion. "That's nice. I wonder what they would do if they knew the truth?"  
  
"What?" she asked, feeling slightly confused. "Clark, we care about you! Pete knows!"  
  
"But the others don't. You and Dad don't trust any of them!" he protested. "That's why she left!"  
  
She frowned, knowing he was right. _I wish Jonathan would agree to let him tell those we trust the most._ "We have to protect you."  
  
He glared at her. "Protect me? Protect me from what? Mom, I can't open up. I can't have a normal life. What use are these abilities if I can't love anyone? If I can't trust them?" Tears welled up in his eyes. "Because of this Secret, I can't tell her!"  
  
She felt her heart breaking for him._ He's right. He needs to share his secret with her._ "We should have let you tell her before."  
  
"After she killed that guy to save you both, I think we can trust her," he pointed out.  
  
"You know about that?" she asked. "How?" Seeing him shrug, she shook it off. "That's not important." She took a deep breath. "If she comes back, Clark, you can tell her if that's what you think is right."  
  
"What about Dad?"  
  
"I handle him," she assured him while hugging him tightly and rocking him in her arms. "It's going to be okay."  
  
Then they heard Lex's voice call. "Hey, Clark, are you up there?"  
  
"Great," Clark moaned.  
  
She disagreed, "Don't shut everyone out, Clark."  
  
"Whatever," he conceded, getting off of the couch and walking to the rail. There he saw the billionaire looking up at him. "What's up, Lex?"  
  
"That, Clark, is my question. Are you okay?" Lex replied with concern.  
  
"I'll live but it hurts," the younger man admitted, wiping his face off.  
  
The businessman nodded, knowing the pangs of loss well. "I'll bet. Hey, I have to go to Metro and I was wondering if you wanted to come along? No questions or prying, I promise."  
  
"Why, Lex?" Clark asked.  
  
Lex arched his brow. "Why? I want to be your friend. That's why, Clark. Come on." He held his hand out.  
  
The teenager glanced at his mother who nodded back at him. Then he descended the stairs methodically, measuring each step with great effort. At the bottom, he took his friend's hand.  
  
The businessman pulled him into a tight embrace. "I'm here, Clark. No matter what, I'm here."  
  
In spite of the Cowache legends and his inbred suspicions, Clark returned the gesture.  
  
Lex shared his friend's pain as best he could. "It's okay, Clark." He looked up at the loft again. "I'll keep him safe, Mrs. Kent."  
  
She forced a nod. _We need to trust him for now even if he is Segith._ "You do that, Lex."  
  
He stored her expression away for a future time. _Now isn't the time for an argument over trust._ Instead, he guided his friend into the Porsche and drove them away.  
  
As they left, she sighed. _Don't hurt him any further, Lex._  
  
From her vantage point, Kyla hoped for the best as well. _Nuam, take care around Segith. _She murmured a Cowache prayer before disappearing from the scene.  
  
Chapter 4 [Metropolis—Two hours later]  
  
After leaving the Kent Farm, Lex spared no time or speed to get them to the big city. He had a lot on his mind preparing for the meeting at LuthorCorp. However, he was more concerned about his passenger. _I wish he'd say something. Anything._  
  
Beside him, Clark sat in silence; his mind struggling to keep control over his emotions. Finally he asked, "What's the hurry, Lex?"  
  
The driver smirked, relieved to hear the other speak. "I like speed. Relax, Clark, nothing's going to happen. If it does, you're here." He rubbed the other's shoulder for emphasis.  
  
Clark glanced at him, desperately wanting to believe him. "And that means?"  
  
"That means I trust you, Clark."   
  
"Thanks, Lex, that means a lot," Clark replied, impressing himself with his own sincerity.  
  
"You're welcome," Lex replied, feeling glad that some of the tension had abated between them. As they parked in his slot, he assured him, "The meeting won't be long. After that, we can do something."  
  
"What do I do while you're in there?" Clark asked, not sure of how he felt hanging around in LuthorCorp.  
  
As they headed for the elevator, the businessman shrugged. "I left some books for you."  
  
"Books?"  
  
The Smirk appeared again. "What's the matter, Clark? You don't like to read?" Lex asked mischievously.  
  
The elevator carried them up to the thirty-seventh floor. There, they stepped over to the receptionist's desk.  
  
"Hi, Amber," Lex greeted the young redhead in the gray dress sitting there.  
  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Luthor," she replied courteously. "Your father's waiting in Room 2."  
  
Lex shook his head and grit his teeth. Why now? Composing himself, he asked, "What about the 3:30 meeting?"  
  
"He cancelled it, Sir," she informed him, flushing nervously at the thought of being caught between them.  
  
Lex reassured her, "It's okay, Amber."  
  
"You want some help in there, Lex?" Clark offered.  
  
The billionaire smiled at the offer. "Thanks, Clark. The fact that you're waiting out here to back me up means a lot. Still, I don't want my father around you any more than necessary. Amber, can you show Mr. Kent to my office? I'll be right there."  
  
She concurred, eager to get away from the developing storm. "Yes, Sir. Right this way, Mr. Kent." She got up from behind the counter and guided the younger man down the hall.  
  
_Now what do you want, Dad?_ Lex took a deep breath and walked as calmly as possible toward Room 2. His mind swam with the possible machinations running through his father's mind. Opening the designated door, he found the source of his misery pacing about the room. "Hey, Dad, grandstanding again, are we?"  
  
"Son, it's good to see you as always," Lionel declared sardonically. "Are we misusing company assets?"  
  
"Are we?" the Bald One countered, making another move in their latest verbal game of cat and mouse. "After the knife went up in smoke, I figured that it was over."  
  
Lionel glared at his son. "Oh no, Lex, it's just beginning. By the time I'm done with your friends, you'll beg for your old place back. How is Clark doing by the way? I noticed you brought him here. How convenient."  
  
Lex scowled, allowing the elder man to see his anger. "Leave him alone, Dad! The boy's got enough to deal with!"  
  
"Temper, temper, Lex. I might almost consider that a threat," the elder man taunted, knowing his son's emotional flaws and exploiting them.  
  
Lex put his hand on his chest and gave the other his best mock hurt expression. "Moi? Threaten you? Perish forbid, Dad. I'm just telling you to stay away is all. Now if we're done, I'm leaving. I've kept Clark waiting long enough. Excuse me." With that, he left the room.  
  
Lionel smoldered with rage at his son's attitude but said nothing. Instead, he opened the desk drawer and quickly stuffed some items in his pocket. _This isn't over, Lex. Not by a long shot._  
  
[Minutes earlier]  
  
Amber led Clark down the hall and up to Lex's office door. "Here it is, Mr. Kent. Mr. Luthor should be back in a few minutes. Meantime, he asked me to tell you about the sodas in the refrigerator. Enjoy." With that, she left quickly, hustling back down the hall.  
  
_Thanks._ He walked into the office to find it completely dark. "Terrific." He focused on the area with his enhanced senses, suspecting a trap.  
  
From the darkness, a lone heartbeat picked up in intensity.  
  
Then he smelled a familiar scent of lilacs. "Who's there?" He heard a noise behind him.  
  
The lights snapped on.  
  
He wheeled around to find Lana standing there; her eyes red with tears and a broad smile on her face. "Lana?"  
  
"Did you mean it, Clark? Are you ready to trust me?" she asked desperately.  
  
"Yes," he agreed, trying to keep his composure.  
  
She allowed her tears to show. "After you said that, I…I couldn't leave you." She ran to him.  
  
He embraced her, feeling her skin against his own. Picking her off of the ground, he forgot about holding back, twirling her around as if she were a feather. "I can't believe it!"  
  
Their eyes met, reflecting their mutual love for each other.  
  
"Clark."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Will you kiss me already?" she requested before sealing his mouth with hers.  
  
They spent several moments in bliss; their hearts soaring higher and higher amongst the clouds.  
  
"Now that's a sight for sore eyes," Lex commented from the doorway.  
  
"You arranged this?" Clark inquired in disbelief.  
  
The Smirk appeared again on the businessman's face. "Part of it anyhow."  
  
She bowed her head and sighed. "I was on the plane and they were about to close the door when I realized I…couldn't do it. Smallville means too much to me. You mean too much to me." She kissed his cheek for emphasis.  
  
He smiled contentedly; his eyes shining. "And Lex arranged for you to be here."  
  
"I called him last night," she recounted. "I spent the night in a hotel room and then made my way over here this morning." Turning to their friend, she added, "Lex, your Dad hassled me on the way in."  
  
The billionaire shook his head. "I just dealt with him. Look, guys, let's not ruin the mood by thinking of him. Dinner's on me."  
  
The trio left the office. As they walked through the reception area, they found it strangely empty except for Lionel who blocked the elevator access.  
  
"Leaving so soon?" the Source of All Evil in Smallville asked.  
  
"Get out of our way, Dad," Lex directed, losing patience.  
  
The elder Luthor smirked, pulling a pistol from his jacket pocket. "Let's test a theory, shall we?" Then he fired three shots at the group in quick succession.  
  
Seeing the bullets flying in their direction, Clark forgot about everything except for saving his friends. He pulled them behind him, shielding them from the shots. Then his heat vision melted the gun barrel.  
  
"CLARK!" she screamed, as she realized what had happened.  
  
"Dad, you bastard!" Lex snarled.  
  
"Get back, guys," the Kryptonian told them, stepping in between them and Lionel. "It's over, Mr. Luthor."  
  
Needless to say, Lex and Lana were incredulous. To see their friend take three bullets and melt their attacker's gun just by looking at it astounded them. "Clark, how?" they chorused.  
  
"This is his little secret," Lionel chuckled. "I've known for some time now. It's funny what you see when people think you're blind."  
  
"You knew," Clark supposed. "When I crushed the pool ball."  
  
"Exactly. That was incredible, Clark. Too incredible for you to be left in my way," Lionel continued, reaching into his pocket. "I have something for you too." He produced a chunk of kryptonite and held it out in plain sight.  
  
As he did so, it started to glow.  
  
Clark winced, feeling the familiar sickness and his veins started bulging. "Argh!"  
  
"Clark, what is it?" she asked.  
  
"The meteor rocks…they make me…sick," Clark whispered as he collapsed onto the floor.  
  
Lex and Lana looked at each other. Granted, they felt angry with Clark for withholding this stuff from them. But he had promised to talk with them later. Now they need to insure there was a later.  
  
"Stay back!" Lex told her and charged his father. He wrestled with the elder man for several minutes.   
  
However, Lionel slammed him into the wall, knocking him out cold. "There. Now to finish Clark off." He saw Lana standing over him. "Move aside, Miss Lang."  
  
"Make me," she countered. "Just leave us alone."  
  
"Last chance," he reiterated.  
  
"You'll have to kill me," she declared, standing firmly in place and bracing herself for his next move.  
  
As he charged her, she let him go by.  
  
He made another move….  
  
…only to run into her spin kick, knocking the stone out of his hand. "Get away from him!"  
  
He got up slowly, considering what he would do to her next. "You won't do that again!"  
  
She stared at the sight behind him.   
  
"What?" he asked, turning as well to see the white wolf growling at him. "You again?"  
  
His furry nemesis from two years earlier glared at him before attacking, driving him backward and into the obsidian wall decoration.  
  
Hitting his head, he passed out.  
  
_How did it get in here?_ Lana wondered, considering their savior.  
  
The wolf panted and looked at them as well.  
  
"What's that doing in here?" Lex asked, rubbing his forehead.  
  
"Leave it for a minute," Lana urged while grabbing the kryptonite and throwing it down a garbage chute.  
  
With the rock gone, Clark regained his strength. "Wow." He considered his situation, hesitating at the three sets of eyes staring at him. "Are you all okay?"  
  
"That depends on your definition of 'okay', Clark," Lex replied angrily. "_This_ was your secret? Clark, you lied to me!"  
  
The Kryptonian shook his head. "At the time, I didn't have my powers, Lex. Technically, it wasn't a lie."  
  
"Lex has a point though," Lana asserted. "You didn't trust us!"  
  
The wolf howled as it morphed back into Kyla.  
  
"Kyla?" Lana gasped, her eyes bulging at the sight.  
  
The spirit responded firmly, "Yes, Lana, it's me. I've returned from the dead to help you all remain friends. Clark's burden is a heavy one, my friends. Would you make it even more so by denying him the help he needs?" She looked at him. "Even if he's too dense to realize and admit he needs it?"  
  
"I have saved your lives," Clark reminded them.  
  
"That doesn't excuse the lack of trust, Clark," Lex countered.   
  
Clark bowed his head, feeling ashamed of the Big Lie. "Don't you think I wanted to tell you? My parents wouldn't allow it!"  
  
Kyla nodded. "He's correct."  
  
Lex was furious. "And you let them drive us apart?" He clenched his fist and then let it go. "How could you? You could have just told us!"  
  
Lana stooped down to Clark's level and looked him in the eye. "Is that true, Clark?"  
  
"Yes," Clark sobbed; his eyes watering now. "And now I've really lost you."  
  
Lana shook her head. "Clark, that's not true. Is this what you were going to tell me two nights ago?"  
  
"Yes," Clark admitted. "Sorry I couldn't get you to stick around long enough to get the words out. I guess it doesn't matter if you all know or not, huh?"  
  
"People like my father will always be out there, Clark," Lex pointed out. "Knowing at least lets us prepare for it…and help you. You have to trust us though to watch out for ourselves and help you too."  
  
"There was one thing that was the truth, Lana," Clark stated.  
  
"What is that?" she asked, looking into his eyes.  
  
"That I love you. I always have and I always will," he declared.  
  
Lana glanced at Kyla who smiled back at her. Then she kissed him. "Thank you for trusting me with that, Clark."  
  
"And you're like the brother I never had, Lex. I just wish that Dad would let you in closer," Clark added.  
  
The billionaire glared at him. "You still should have told me, Clark. I really owe your folks a big piece of my mind. Come on; I want to get back to Smallville."  
  
"First though," Lana interjected. "Kyla, thank you for your help."  
  
The spirit smiled warmly. "My pleasure." She walked over to Lionel and placed her finger on his forehead for a minute. Then she declared, "He will have no memory of your secret, Clark. Be well, my friends. Please don't be too harsh on him." With that, she vanished into thin air.  
  
"Amazing," Lex declared before shifting his thoughts back in gear.   
  
As they walked out, Clark quipped, "Welcome to my world, guys."  
  
Chapter 5   
  
Lex literally floored it all of the way back to Smallville, setting a personal best for himself—not that he would have cared under the circumstances.  
  
As if sensing his mood, the traffic on I-35 parted like the Red Sea, allowing the black streak to zip across the Kansas countryside. No police bothered him either.  
  
Sitting between the two men, Lana had tried to mollify Lex as much as she could. Still, his mood frightened her, forcing her to cradle closer to Clark to make herself feel better.  
  
"For the hundredth time, Lex, I'm sorry, all right?" Clark insisted.  
  
"The billionaire countered, "I can't tolerate deceit, Clark. It may have been your parents' doing but it's still deceit!"  
  
"As if you've always been honest with us?" Clark shot back. "You did have my family investigated behind our backs!"  
  
"I came clean with that, Clark," Lex argued.  
  
"After your father's man, Dominic, ratted you out!" Clark countered.   
  
"Please! Stop it, both of you," she requested, feeling her eyes water again.   
  
Lex glared at the younger man but said nothing else, focusing on the road instead.  
  
_This is going to be some discussion. _She shook her head in frustration, anticipating the fireworks between Lex and Mr. Kent. _Yeah, this is going to be something else.  
_  
  
[Kent Farm]  
  
Lex slammed on the brakes in the driveway just one hour and forty-five minutes after they had left LuthorCorp. "We're here."  
  
Lana took a breath as she uncurled herself from Clark's protective arm. "Let's get this over with."  
  
Clark turned white, imagining the argument waiting for them inside.  
  
Lex smirked sarcastically. "You're actually scared, aren't you, Clark? Good."  
  
She interceded, "Stop it, Lex. Clark's said he's sorry. Leave him alone."  
  
"Thanks…both of you," Clark expressed.  
  
"Don't thank me yet," Lex countered, knocking on the door.  
  
Martha opened it. "Lex? Why are you back so soon? Is everything all right?"  
  
"I wish I could say yes, Mrs. Kent, but we have something serious to talk about," the billionaire replied.  
  
"Serious?" Martha asked, looking at Clark and Lana. "Lana, you came back. What's wrong?"  
  
"As Lex said, we have something to talk about, Mrs. Kent. Is Mr. Kent at home?" the younger woman replied. "I wish things could have gone better."  
  
"They know, Mom," Clark indicated, as they entered the house.  
  
His mother turned pale as she comprehended his words. "Uh yes, I think your father will be right in. Take a seat, will you?" she indicated, sprinting for the barn.  
  
"I don't think I've ever seen her run so fast," Lex observed saucily.  
  
Clark got up and warned his friend, "Back off, Lex, that wasn't called for."  
  
"Guys," Lana interjected, stepping between them. "This isn't helping. Let's sit."  
  
Barely two minutes later, Jonathan and Martha came through the front door; their concern clearly on their faces.  
  
"Are you three hurt at all?" Martha asked again.  
  
"No, Mrs. Kent, thanks to Clark, we're fine," Lana replied.  
  
"What happened?" Jonathan wondered.  
  
"I drove Clark to LuthorCorp," Lex reported. "I had a meeting and well…I arranged for a surprise for Clark."  
  
"I was waiting for them in his office," Lana indicated. "I decided that my priorities were here in Smallville rather than in Paris. Unfortunately, Mr. Luthor was there too."  
  
"Lionel was there?" Jonathan asked, the anger clearly resonating in his voice. "Was that part of the surprise too?"  
  
"Jonathan, please!" his wife interceded. "Lex wouldn't do that to Clark!"  
  
"Thanks for that at least, Mrs. Kent," Lex expressed before continuing, "Anyhow, we're getting ready to leave when my father attacked us."  
  
"He pulled out a gun and shot it at us," Clark reported. "I had to choose, Mom and Dad, between saving Lex and Lana and keeping the Secret." He smiled at his friends. "I chose my friends. Sorry. I took the shots for them and then melted Lionel's gun with my heat vision."  
  
"Heat vision?" Lex asked. "So that's how his gun ended up as slag."  
  
"Then what happened?" Martha asked expectantly.  
  
"My father exposed Clark to a meteor rock. He got sick and collapsed. I tried to knock it away from him but he overpowered me," Lex recounted.  
  
"I managed to kick it away from him, Lana reported. "Still without the extra assist, I don't think we'd be standing here."  
  
"Extra assist?" the two parents asked.  
  
"That would be me," Kyla indicated, appearing before them. "I was sent back to help you all in this situation. I dealt with Lionel Luthor. He won't be remembering Clark's secret. I saw to that."  
  
"If that's so, then thank you, Kyla. It's good to see you," Martha expressed, realizing the spirit's identity.  
  
"It's my pleasure to help you all," the spirit replied. "But we do have a bigger question."  
  
"Clark, you showed great strength and shot fire from your eyes. If you fell from space, that would make you Nuam," Lex quipped.  
  
"And the blade disintegrating in your hands would make you Segith, Lex," Clark retorted.   
  
"I guess that makes us enemies, doesn't it?" Lex realized, shaking his head.  
  
Jonathan tensed. "You'd best not mean that, Lex!"  
  
The businessman wheeled around and went nose to nose with the farmer. "Or what, Mr. Kent? What can you do to me? You're just damned lucky I don't want to be his enemy! You and my Dad, you're the ones who are driving us away from Clark! I'm not my father's son, all right?"  
  
"And what about your ambitions, Lex?" Martha asked. "Clark's not some toy to be used and thrown away."  
  
"I would never do that, Mrs. Kent. You have my word. I'll keep Clark's secret and protect it. I just want to make sure that he doesn't try to conquer Earth," Lex indicated.  
  
"Trust me, Lex, I want to protect everyone is all. Keep me away from red meteors and I'll be fine," Clark assured them.  
  
"Red meteors?" Lana asked. "Are they what caused you to go nuts in Metropolis last summer?"  
  
"And in the biker club and with Chloe in the Talon," Clark admitted. "Well, they make me more aggressive—more like that conqueror Lex is talking about. I don't want to be that person. I just want to be Clark Kent. Not Kal." He put his arm around his girlfriend. "I never wanted to hurt you, Lana. That's why I never told you more about what happened. I didn't want you getting too close."  
  
"Too late, Clark. I already did," she asserted. "You can't change your destiny though. If you're meant to be some sort of hero then we can help you."  
  
"Lex, I want you covering my back too," Clark requested, holding out his hand. "We're a team."  
  
The billionaire hesitated, not really wanting to let his friend off of the hook just yet. Still, the other had saved his life several times. More over, he wanted to be a part of the family. "On one condition, if I promise to keep you out of LuthorCorp business, can I finally be a part of the family?"  
  
Martha looked expectantly at her husband. "Well?"  
  
The farmer relented, knowing he wasn't going to win. "All right, Lex."  
  
"Thank you," Lex replied. Then he took Clark's hand. "You're forgiven. No more secrets. You can tell me anything."  
  
"We can balance each other, Lex. Maybe that way, we can satisfy the prophecy without becoming open enemies," Clark indicated.  
  
"I like that," Lex agreed, shaking the other's hand. "We will need to talk further. Just out of curiosity…no LuthorCorp reports, I promise. Besides, I have a certain building to buy back. It's good to see you both back together. Don't screw it up."  
  
"We won't," Lana promised.  
  
Lex smirked as he headed out the door and toward his Porsche.  
  
After he left, Lana asked the Kents, "Were you really that uncomfortable with me knowing about Clark?"  
  
Jonathan cleared his throat. "It's a big secret, Lana. We weren't sure that you were ready to handle it. And we didn't want to put you in danger by knowing about it."  
  
"We just wanted you all to be safe," Martha added. "Still for you to know everything is a relief."  
  
"I guess you just fell out of the sky, huh?" Lana asked Clark.  
  
"Actually, I did. Well, that's something else we have in common, Lana," her boyfriend replied.  
  
"And that is?" she asked.  
  
"We both lost our parents to the meteors," he indicated while getting up from the chair. "On both ends you might say."  
  
"Both ends?" Lana asked, feeling confused.  
  
"You want the truth, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"Promise you won't hate me?" he asked.  
  
"Why would I do that? Clark, what is it?" she inquired.  
  
"Krypton…my home world…exploded. According to that scientist I went to see last year, it vanished. My parents died with the rest of the world and I was sent away when I was about 2. The fragments fell on Earth including here," he told her. "Lana, I've always felt guilty about your parents. I feel like I caused their death somehow."  
  
Lana sighed and wiped her eyes, considering the issue for a minute. While she felt the familiar pain in her heart, she couldn't lash out at him. _He didn't kill Mom and Dad. He lost out in that mess too._ "We do have more in common than I knew. Clark, don't be silly. You couldn't have stopped those rocks at that age. And it doesn't matter—my parents would be glad to know that you're here to love me and that I can talk with your folks almost like a part of the family."  
  
"You are a part of the family," Jonathan pointed out as he and Martha joined the teens in a group hug.  
  
Conclusion [Two Days Later]  
  
Lex pulled some strings and reversed the Talon's sale. While he angered the buyers, he didn't care. The best business partner he had ever had was back. Better yet, she and Clark were closer than ever. Best of all, there were no more secrets. That was all he needed.  
  
In recompense for accidentally setting the fire in the Talon during the previous year, Clark did most of the structural work inside of the café, redoing all of the décor and such things. What would have taken a normal crew of six people three days, he did in five hours.  
  
Lana's welcome back party (how many people get two in one year?) provided a big hit for the town gossips not to mention Chloe's front page news. Unlike the previous one, she walked in on her boyfriend's right arm, beaming warmly as all of the strands in her life were at last coming together. _Sometimes, one has everything they need right in their backyard. This is Heaven. Thank you, Clark, Lex and Kyla._  
  
[Fortress of Solitude]  
  
Clark gazed through the telescope, trying to find Krypton's sun in the night sky. Even with his super focusing abilities, he wasn't having much luck.  
  
"Still wondering?" Kyla asked, appearing beside him.  
  
"Yeah, I am," he concurred. "Thanks." He grinned at her.  
  
She chuckled. "Now that's what I want to see from you. As for bringing Lana back, no problem. I'm glad that you both are happy together."  
  
He focused on her, noting her brow furrowing. "But?"  
  
She glanced at him. He can still read me. "Be careful of Segith. He's a sly one."  
  
"Actually Lex will stick by me if I stick by him. If we do that, Nuam and Segith balance each other out quite nicely," he pointed out. "Only on the red kryptonite do I have the conqueror, Kal-El's personality. I plan to limit that as much as possible."  
  
"I see," she realized, frowning. "Then you don't value what my people have given you, Clark."  
  
He shook his head. "Wait a minute, Kyla. I never said that! I'll always protect your people along with my other friends."  
  
"And we'll stand by him on your people's behalf," Lana asserted, climbing the stairs. "Sorry to cut in." On her jacket, she wore the "Save the Caves" button. "I found this today and wore it in your honor."  
  
"Thanks, Lana," the spirit expressed. "Watch over him, all right? If I can't have him, I'm glad that you can."  
  
"I'll do my best. You're a great guardian angel. Any chance on a return visit sometime?" Lana replied.  
  
"I hope so. I'll always be close to you no matter what. Take care. Nuam, be careful," Kyla concluded, vanishing from the scene.  
  
"That is something else," Lana admired.  
  
"She is a great friend," he agreed, looking at her eyes and how her skin glistened in the starlight.  
  
"Kiss me, Clark," she requested.  
  
He leaned close and locked lips with her, sharing energy and passion. As they did, they floated in the loft for a while. But they could be excused for such things. For at least, they were back together without the secrets that had threatened their relationship before.  
  
And that was a cause to celebrate.  
  
THE END 

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